Criteria for Transfer Credits

Policy

A catalog course description and syllabus are required for any course for which transfer credit is desired. Courses must be substantially similar in content and coverage to the corresponding course at Chestnut Hill College. Similarity is assessed by the faculty by comparing the syllabus to the syllabus of the course taught at Chestnut Hill College. To be considered for transfer credit, the course grade must be “B” or above.

The program will accept up to 30 transfer credits for foundational and elective courses at the 500-600 level for students who are admitted to Year II. The program will accept a maximum of 12 transfer credits for foundational and elective courses at the 500-600 level for students who are admitted to Year I.

The program will also consider transferring up to 18 credits for courses at the 800 level and above if (1) the course was taken in another APA-accredited doctoral program in clinical psychology and (2) the course was completed within five years of enrollment at Chestnut Hill College. Transfer credit will not be given for internship. In order to transfer credits from practicums, the applicant must submit a written evaluation by the practicum supervisor as well as a detailed accounting of the activities performed and the number of hours spent in each activity. This material will be evaluated and a decision made by the Chair in consultation with the Director of Clinical Training and other members of the department.

Procedure

Student submits a syllabus, catalog description, and official transcript showing the grade for the course for which transfer credit is requested. This information is reviewed by the Chair or a designated member of the department faculty who has experience in the area covered by the course. The faculty member compares the syllabus and catalog description to the syllabus and catalog description of the corresponding course at Chestnut Hill College. If there is “substantial similarity,” which is defined by coverage overlap of 80% or more, and if the official transcript grade was B or above, transfer credit will be granted. If either one of these criteria is not met, transfer credit will be denied.

If it is not clear if the criteria for “substantial similarity” are met, then the reviewer will request that the student submit additional information, such as copies of the course texts or other readings, or copies of graded assignments, test, or papers. In some instances the student may be required to obtain a written statement from the instructor of the course that explains in detail how the required content was covered in the course.

If it is still not clear whether the criteria for “substantial similarity” are met, the student will be given the option to take a Challenge Examination, which will be comparable to the final cumulative examination for the course for which transfer credit is requested. The student must obtain a grade of 75% or higher on this Challenge Examination in order to be awarded transfer credit for the course. Challenge Examinations are administered only with the permission of the Chair and only after the preceding steps in the procedure have been followed. Challenge Examinations are not available for courses at 800-level and above.